Monorail cleaner



Dec. 1, 1959 H. E. TIEMAN MONORAIL CLEANER Filed June 26, 1957 IN V EN TOR.

Harald E. Tieman Fig.

ii LI United States Patent MONORAIL CLEANER Harold E. Tieman, 'Iiflin, Ohio Application June 26, 1957, Serial No. 668,142

3 Claims. (Cl. 104-279) The present invention relates to an improved attachment-type conveyor rail cleaning device which is expressly designed and suitably adapted to effectually scrape and clean the top and bottom surfaces of the base flange of an I-beam-type monorail, that is, a single rail for car or conveyance trolleys which ride suspended along the base flange. I

As is well known, the exposed surfaces of monorails pick up and accumulate considerable dust, dirt, grease, and extraneous matter. Therefore, there has long existed a recognized need for practical means for scraping and dislodging such dirt and grime. Consequently, it is an objective in the instant matter to provide a simple and economical surface cleaning and scraping device, preferably one which is non-reversible and is capable of being releasably hitched to the usual wheel-equipped yoke of a trolley, whereby to be pulled along in one direction by the trolley.

More specifically, the invention pertains to an eflicient arrangement of several cooperating scraper blades, two of which are alike and suitably designed to be dragged along the top surfaces of the base flange of the rail on opposite sides of the lower portion of the web-of the rail, and the third one of which is broad and is adapted to resiliently contact and be dragged along the bottom side of the base flange.

The invention also contemplates the adoption and use of a'simple and practical scraping and cleaning device which is of triple-blade construction and wherein the respective blades are joined with an adapter of equally simple form.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation and section showing a fragmentary portion of the I-beam monorail, a conventional trolley appearing partly in section, and the improved cleaning device or attachment appearing in elevation and coupled to the trolley.

Fig. 2 is a view based on the showing seen in Fig. 1 and looking in the direction from right to left.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view taken approximately on the plane ofthe line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device or attachment by itself.

With reference to Figs. 1 to' 3, inclusive, the monorail is denoted generally by the numeral 6 and it is of I- shaped cross-section, embodying a web 8, a top flange 10 and a parallel bottom flange 12. In addition to the conventional monorail, the disclosure also includes a showing of a conventional trolley denoted generally by the numeral 14 and having a body portion 16 and provided at its top with a yoke, the arms 18 of which straddle the rail and are provided with rollers 20 which are disposed on opposite sides of the web 8 and roll or track ice along the top surfaces 22 of the bottom flange 12. These surfaces 22, adjacent side portions of the web, and the bottom surfaces, as before mentioned, are constant catchers of grease, dirt, and grime and other deleterious matter. Therefore, the scraping and cleaning device or attachment (Fig. 4) when properly used is believed to offer a satisfactory solution of the problem. This device comprises four primary components; namely, a main scraping blade carrier 26, a pair of opposed coplanar L-shaped resilient arms 28 and 30, and a latch pin 32. The carrier 26 for the main scraping blade comprises a generally flat plate which is substantially T-shaped in bottom plan (see Fig. 3). The crosshead portion 34 of the plate has upwardly bent end portions 36. The leading end of the body portion 38 has a return bend 40 which is joined to an extension which is located above the body portion and is here described as a first arm 42 and this arm terminates in an upbent flange 44 constituting a scraping blade 46 which rides in contact with the bottom surface of the flange 12 in the manner perhaps best shown in Fig. 1. The L-shaped arms or members 28 and 30 have end portions of their long arms 48 bearing against and riveted at 50 to the end portions 36 of the carrier plate 26. Their short end portions 52 are directed laterally and inwardly toward each other Where they are provided with notches. 54 which are suitably located and shaped to engage over the respective marginal edge portions of the base flange 12 of the I-beam or monorail. The projecting portions beneath the notches 54 are fashioned into a pair of short detents 56 which facilitate holding the extending scraping blades 58 in operative position. Actually, the lower edge portions 60 of the auxiliary blades 58 constitute scraping elements and drag along the top surfaces of the flange 12 While the tips or terminals 62 (when spread apart as shown in Fig. 2) ride along opposite vertical surfaces of the rails web 8 just above the flange 12. Thus, a simple connector 26 generally T-shaped in plan serves to assemble and join a pair of L-shaped members 28 and 30 thereto in a manner to utilize the short inturned arms of the L-shaped members to provide the scraping blades 58 and keying notches 54 and detents 56. Obviously, the arms 48 are of springy or resilient metal so'that it is possible to force and spread the same apart and to snap them into position so that they will stay put. The arm 42 is also of resilient metal and this yielding force presses the scraping edge 46 of the blade 44 up beneath the bottom surface of the flange 12. The bend or bent portion 40 and a slot 64 therein serve to accommodate a lateral retaining finger latch 66 on the intermediate portion of the L-shaped latch rod 68. This rod has a handle 70,at one end. By turning the handle 70 in the proper direction to line up the pin 66 with the slot 64, the rod 68 can be forced bodily from left to right in the position seen in Fig. 4 to extract the pin 66 from the slot 64 and to allow the rod 68 to be inserted or removed, in an obvious manner.

In practice, the body portion 38 and overlying arm 42 may be passed through the space between the yoke arms 18, thus paving the way for coupling the complete scraping and cleaning device to the trolley. By inserting and seating the latch pin 68 properly in the bend 40 and then lining up the detent 66 with the keeper slot 64 and then allowing the detent to drop down to the position seen, for example, in Figs. 1 and 2, the pin or latch rod is locked in place and consequently the complete device is detachably latched to the trolley. It follows that when the trolley is moved along the monorail, the scraping device follows the trolley. With the broad or main scraper blade 44 operating against the bottom side of the base flange, this side is scraped clean. With the auxiliary finger-like scraping blades 58 and their edges 60 and 62 properly dragging along the top surfaces and the lower opposite sideportions of the web 8, these surfaces are simultaneously raked and scraped. It follows that this simple readily applicable and removable device offers a practical-solution to persons needing a-scraping and cleaning device-capable of being used in a continuous chain to.remove dirt andgrease from monorail surfaces.

Due precautionshouldbe exercised in using this device to check the rail for objects on the bottom of the rail that protrude over one-quarter of an inch to preventdamage to thescraper or lines.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilledin-theart, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction andoperation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be-resorted to, falling within the scope of the-invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An I-beam-typemonorail scraping and cleaning attachment for a wheel-equipped trolley of a type commonly operated on an I-beam-type monorail, said attachment comprisinga first arm of resilient construction having a free end portion provided with a broad-edge scraping blade adapted to extend acrossand bear yieldingly against the. underneath side of the'base flange of a monorail, a pair of. additional armsprovided with scraping blades conformingly designed and adapted to scrape the top surfaces of said base flange, means operatively connecting said first arm and additional arms together so that they constitute and cooperate as a structural entity, said arm connecting means embodying a return bend having a slot therein, said return bend and adjacenbcooperating end portion of-said first arm providing a latch pin containing and retaining seat, and a latch pin cooperatively and removably positioned in said seat, said latch pin being provided at one end with a handle and also provided intermediate its ends with a latch finger extending through and cooperating with said slot and serving to hold said pin in-said seat, said seat and latch pin therein providing a readily separable and connectible operating connection between said trolley and scraping attachment.

2. A monorail cleaning and scraping attachment for a wheel-equipped monorail trolley comprising a member T-shaped in bottom plan, a complemental arm connected at one end to an end of said T-shaped member by way of a connecting bend and providing a latch pin supporting and retainingseat, said arm being constructed of resilient material and having its other end terminating in a broad scraping blade, a pair of members L-shaped in plan embodying long arms and short arms, said short arms being in a common plane and directed toward each other and terminating in aligned cooperating scraping blades and said scraping blades being marginally contoured and constructed to conformingly operatively cooperate with the top surfaces and lengthwise marginal edges of the bottom flange of a monorail.

3. For use in scraping and cleaning predetermined surfaces of an I-beam monorail, a scraping. and cleaning attachment comprising a blade carrier generally T-shaped in bottom plan adapted to underlie the bottom of the base flange of said rail, a first arm disposed in a plane above the plane of the body portion of said carrier and having a leading end joined by a connecting bend to a leading end portion of said body portion, said bend defining a latch pin accommodating and retaining seat and having a slot.at a median portion thereof, the trailing end of said first am having, an upwardly directedv scraping blade which transversely bridges and is adapted to drag yieldingly. along the bottom surface of saidbase flange, a: pair ofadditionally spaced parallel coplanar. arms havingfor- Ward ends joined. to cooperating end portions, of said blade carrier and having turned in trailing end, portions which, are formed with notches shaped to engage and ride along therespective. edge portionsof the baseflange ofthe. monorail and providedbeyond said notcheswith coplanar auxiliary. scraping blades which are adapted to dragalong the top surface of said base flange and which have tip, portions adapted to be pressed yieldinglyagainst opposite surfacesrof; the web of the monorail, an insert.- able and removable latchpin fitted removablyin said seat. and provided atone end with a handle and intermediateits ends with alatching detent, said latching detent releasably cooperable with said slot, the ends of said latch pin beingadaptedto bridge and bear against spaced armssuch as are providedon the yoke portion of a trolley to, in this manner, provide a separable operating connection between the trolley and scraping and cleaning attachment.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

